[x-bird2]

As much as it pains me to have to do this, I have to sell the Formy.

While I know what I'd optimistically like to get for it, I know full well the reality of trying to sell a project car.

As she presently sits, it's road legal and in excellent mechanical condition.

Cosmetically, it has PPG self Etching epoxy primer on it that was applied back around 2000.

Body has no rust to deal with other than a bit of surface rust on used and NOS replacement panels (good used doors, Nos and used fenders and used hood) that I've kept stored for the time that I could afford to finish the paint. Meantime, it has been driven with "beater panels" on it. At one point I had to store it outside under tarps for about a month last summer and a bit of surface rust crept in on the outside of the lower rear quarters where the primer is a bit thin.

Body was completely stripped inside and out, NOS driver's quarter, new trunk drops.

It has a partial quarter on the passenger's side, I've commented here about my dislike of this piece and with the reproduction full quarters now available, she deserves one.

Original engine, trans and rear. Engine has a 2-qt accusump, remote filter and canton road race pan. The distributor and alternator are not numbers correct. Runs beautifully, was doing 12.0s when I could get it to hook. Nothing needs done to the undercarriage/suspension/engine unless you want to revert back to 100% original look.

Interior needs a correct one piece headliner, which wasn't available 15 years ago, front seats need recovered. Has Autometer gauges, but originals can go right back in. I have a correct 8-track player for it. New carpet was installed, rear seats are in nice shape. Console is the best i could find in 15 years of looking, it's not all broken up like most.

This was used in HPP back in the late 90s for a variety of body and engine articles. PHS docd, any factory lit etc. I have for it (service & assy. manuals, parts books etc.) comes with it.

Before I put her in the classifieds, I'd welcome any suggestions/commentary on pricing.

It needs full paint involving taking the primer down on the main body, prepping the used parts, some final interior dress up with the headliner and seats -- I have spare trim pieces etc.

[weranc55]

Cool car. I couldn't tell you the value of it but if you come up with a asking price let me know. Maybe your best bet is to put it on ebay and let the market decide what its worth.

[71formula455]

That would be a cool car to own for sure.
What was the original color?
Is it originally a PA car, what dealer?

[x-bird2]

I'm trying to avoid e-bay because frankly, I'm afraid the fees and percentage are going to cut too deep into the minimum i can take for the car. My pie-in-the sky number isn't going to fly.

Trying to gauge something realistic before i post it up. A resto shop or good home garage guy with bodywork skills could finish this to good show quality for 20k or under. Another 10k on that and it'd be at the top shelf level. Mod-wise, I always kept it as bolt-on work that could be reverted back to stock.

Originally sold out of Wilson Motors in NC, I'm the third owner, could never track down #1, No.2 was the person who would have been my late brother-in-law. It got turned into a Trans Am by No.1, I don't think No.2 ever knew it was actually a Formula.

Options include ...
Cameo White, Black Custom Int, Non AC, TH-400, D-80 rear spoiler, Custom trim group, bumper guards.

[bird72]

as fyi. my ebay fees on car @ 14,700 sale was way under 200. It got me exposure CL didn't (tried that) and also here on PY. It just flat out is where you will get offers and vast exposure. The fees will be covered by more than you will get elsewhere is how I see.

Great car with great potential, 73 SD Formula's are the best to me. Good luck.

[weranc55]

Originally Posted by bird72

as fyi. my ebay fees on car @ 14,700 sale was way under 200. It got me exposure CL didn't (tried that) and also here on PY. It just flat out is where you will get offers and vast exposure. The fees will be covered by more than you will get elsewhere is how I see.

Great car with great potential, 73 SD Formula's are the best to me. Good luck.

I agree they only charge you fees if you sell the car and you get great exposure. I think its a set price of around 200.

[superdutybob]

What exhaust is on the car including manifolds or headers? Do you have the original intake and carb? Is that the original dash bezel that has been modified or do you have the original? Can you detail the engine mods? This has the Jim Taylor cam doesn't it? What else has been done to the engine.

My guess is that the car is worth between 25k - 30k as it sits depending on answers to the questions that come up. Great project for somebody!

[71GP76TA]

30-35k as-is... I assume its an automatic?

More originality would dramatically increase the value. You might consider getting a cheap paint job in the original color to help increase the value also. I think if you threw 2 grand and some time at it... you'd get into the 40's real easy.

BTW - I bought mine off ebay... July of last year. My car was a 1 owner CA car with most of its original paint.

[eaglesan13]

Ebay is good deal in my opinion. I usually list cars there even though I hope for a local sale. It gets you a lot of exposure for a decent price, but you will get a lot of people asking questions, which can be both good and bad. GLWS

[keith k]

Originally Posted by 71GP76TA

You might consider getting a cheap paint job in the original color to help increase the value also. I think if you threw 2 grand and some time at it... you'd get into the 40's real easy.

Buyer's perspective - I always shy away from a car that's had a "quickie" paint job put on for purposes of selling it. I assume it's hiding something.

I would think a '73 SD Formula with matching motor and solid panels would comfortably bring $35K. If i didn't have a surplus of projects at the moment, I'd be interested.

[x-bird2]

Thanks to John V. for making me think a bit, sold out of J.C Harris Pontiac in Wilson NC.

I've checked out some potential buyers I knew of before posting this, E-bay was/is the next step. Really want it to go to someone who is dedicated to building it out, whether its along the lines of my original goal of a nasty evil looking street/scca track machine with glass or c/f front end parts, coil overs, tubular and PT F-body subframe or 100 percent stock resto. Just really do NOT want it to go to someone who's going to do a quickie spray and flip. Don't want to deal with a bunch of e-bay/cl tire kickers, unless it's a last resort, would rather put it out to "the brethren" first.

I wouldn't do that to sell it, it goes like it sits except that i'll bolt the good metal on it if the buyer doesn't want to have to bring the scrappy ones along for the ride home.

If i had the cash, i would put the quarter on it, and paint it show quality. I could do that for around 5k. The prep under that primer is that good already with very little filler. I had two small spots on the roof by the rear window to finish, and the ugly "off" quarter line behind the passenger door. Much as i hate the work and it's been a long time, it'd be blocked down correctly and given quality paint. My brother has the shop, right now he's just as strapped and can't afford to do it even with a sales percentage on top. Not a good time to be a small body shop surrounded by larger "preferred" shops even if you do the best work with a 100% guarantee. 95% of People nowadays think they have to go where their insurance company points them.

As far as more details go, the engine does have one of Jim's cams in it, going purely off memory (which is not good lately LOL) its .498 lift, 246 or 248 duration with 112 lobe separation, solid lifters, 1.52 Crane roller rockers. I put that cam in it to match the Holley SD intake and Holley 850 DP that's on it now. Down low it's a bit "soft", mid range and up you need a neck brace. Otherwise, engine is pretty much the same as it was in the 8-part build in the magazine, .040 over, 8.9:1. Aluminum intake takes a bit of tickling to hold idle til it warms up, unlike the stock intake which always fired and held after a few seconds.

Rims are a variety of years, car had Turbo rims on it when i got it. Tires have all of 200 miles or so on them.

I also have the cam we dyno tested in it back in '98 (in HPP) .498 lift, around 240 duration and 108 or 110 lsa. Real crisp off the line and smooth and linear all the way up.
IHave that, the intake, carb and oil pan stored.

It came with a Trans Am bezel, i found an AC/no gauge bezel from a 73 because I wanted the correct year woodgrain and also wanted the extra holes. I still had to cut in the left two gauge holes. It needs a non RTS emblem, non-AC, non rear defrost, Rally gauge option bezel. Tough oddball to find. Closest i came was finding one all correct but it had the rear defrost hole. Still have the original gauge cluster, reads 32k miles iirc and i've put about 3,000 on it in 15 years.

Exhaust is the Hooker SCs, jet hot coated, (some may remember them getting installed in HPP "Header Headaches?") 2.5 inch true-duals with x-pipe, I tried 2.25 and 3 inch systems before settling in on the 2.5.
Original manifolds were cracked and repaired several times and were shot, pipes underneath were rusted out and chopped off true duals already. long gone.


Air cleaner as you see it came with it, is likely the original pan, snorkel was already butchered.

[x-bird2]

I'd like to thank everyone for their input. This was not meant as a for sale thread, but it drew several interested forum members, one of whom will soon have the SD in their collection. Price was fair for both sides, just enough for me to take a little of the sting off of having to sell it. I'll miss it, will still be around here, but it'll be a long time before, if at all, that i can put another bird in the garage.

[johnta1]

Congrats on the sale, but sorry to see you selling it.

Having a 73 SD Formula would be awesome to me.

Good luck to the new owner.

[Transamric]

Originally Posted by x-bird2

I'll miss it, will still be around here, but it'll be a long time before, if at all, that i can put another bird in the garage.

If there can't be a SD or HO in the garage, maybe a nice "Cream Puff" would help take away some more of the sting.

[x-bird2]

just the opposite, a beaten down f-body of any sort that i can not worry about anything numbers, correct etc on and build into a 400 based 5 speed primer thug

[poncho-mike]

Do you know when it left NC?

There was a black 73 SD Formula 4-spd that I missed in the early 90s not long after I moved to Raleigh. I saw the car and passed on it for various reasons. The car is now down in GA.

I heard about another 73 in the eastern NC area, and it wasn't the one Baron owned at one point. I never found that one.

[x-bird2]

It arrived at a union county nj vw dealership in '85 and was bought by owner 2 on the spot since he did the trade in deal on it.

[The Boss]

Damn, too crazy a week to be on here & see this & I have the NOS fenders it deserves.

Best wishes to the buyer & seller.

[74SDformula]

Originally Posted by poncho-mike

Do you know when it left NC?

There was a black 73 SD Formula 4-spd that I missed in the early 90s not long after I moved to Raleigh. I saw the car and passed on it for various reasons. The car is now down in GA.

I heard about another 73 in the eastern NC area, and it wasn't the one Baron owned at one point. I never found that one.

There is a red '73 SD TA here in GA that supposedly came out of one of the Carolinas. It is an automatic car and it will likely need a full restoration.

[njsteve]

How soon before it the present owenr gets the car finished? Is he a member here?